Higher levels of education do not mean higher levels of tolerance

From an article by Jan Janmaat, UCL

Education is said to make people more tolerant by enhancing their knowledge and reasoning skills. This should help people to see through prejudiced claims and dismiss irrational fears about those who are culturally different. Schools and universities also enhance tolerance by emphasising it as a virtue. The longer individuals stay in the education system, the more they are exposed to tolerance as a “core value” – and the more likely they are to internalise it.

So does a person’s tolerance rise with their education level? Are higher educated people more likely to accept racial or ethnic minorities? As the generations become better educated and enlightened, does society become more tolerant?

In the 1990s and 2000s, there was a steady growth in the number of people especially in younger age groups in Britain who believe that it is right for employers to discriminate against immigrants when recruiting new staff: